Ora Wyant, of El Dorado, is the most extensive manufacturer of harness and retail dealer of harness, harness sundrys, blankets, robes, etc., in Butler county. Mr. Wyant is a native of Hamilton county, Indiana, born March 22, 1868, and is a son of Isaac and Margaret (Wertz) Wyant, the former a native of Hamilton county, Indiana, and the latter of Pennsylvania. In 1870 when Ora Wyant was about two years of age, the family came to Kansas, locating in Jefferson county where the father was engaged in farming one year, when they came to Greenwood county, and took a homestead near Severy where he engaged in farming and stock raising and became one of the propserous[sic] and influential men of Greenwood county. He died August 1, 1913, and, the mother now resides at Severy, aged seventy years. When the Wyant family located in Greenwood county, the locality in which they settled was a broad expanse of unbroken prairie sparsely settled and for the first year or so there was no school in that locality.

Ora Wyant is one of a family of seven children, in the order of birth as follows Ora, subject of this sketch; Amanda, married S. M. Dougherty, Canton, Okla.; Mattie, married Al. Dunn, and they reside in Idaho; Charles, Jackson, Mich.; Maggie, married C. W. Latta, Klamouth Falls, Ore.: Pearl, married Dr. Evans, Butler, Okla.; and Ella, married F. M. Dailey, El Dorado. Mr. Wyant spent his boyhood days on the Greenwood county farm and received his education in the public schools. He served his apprenticeship at harness making at Severy, Kans. He was a natural mechanic and from early boyhood was inclined toward the harness maker's trade, and worked at it a great deal of his own accord on the farm before he went to learn the trade

and was a good average workman in that line when he began his apprenticeship. After working in Severy for two years, he came to El Dorado in 1901 and entered the employ of B. Gibson, now deceased, as a journeyman harness maker. At that time Mr. Gibson conducted the business on North Main street in the store now occupied by Mr. Wyant.

In 1906 Mr. Wyant and A. L. Layton bought the business from Mr. Gibson and conducted it in partnership at the old stand for five years, when Mr. Wyant bought his partner's interest and since that time has successfully conducted the business alone and has built up a large trade and has many satisfied customers in El Dorado and vicinity. He was united in marriage October 14, 1908, to Miss Harriet Younkman, a daughter of G. N. Younkman, El Dorado, and they have one child: Margaret Louise. Mr. Wyant is a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Knights of Pythias, the Kansas Fraternal Citizens, the Modern Woodmen of America and he and Mrs. Wyant are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

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